Punches from the sun are overpowering skywatchers these days.
Yet another series of solar flares series shimmied out from the sun on
Friday (Aug. 26) after a dazzling show of green-hued auroras crashed through
the atmosphere just days ago.
"Sunspot AR3089 is crackling with a series of intensifying M-class
[moderate] solar flares," SpaceWeather.com said in a Friday update. NASA's
Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an especially powerful flare at 7:16
a.m. EDT (1116 GMT) as populations in Europe and Africa experienced a brief
radio blackout.
A huge ejection of charged particles from the sun, known as a coronal mass
ejection, may strike our planet on Monday (Aug. 29) and spark auroras around
the Arctic Circle, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. (These shining lights occur when charged particles
interact with Earth's magnetic field.)
The sun is certainly feeling forceful these days, as it is generating a surge
of space weather to herald the start of its maximum of an 11-year solar cycle
of activity.
Swarms of northern and southern lights were spotted earlier this week,
including seen from space by the European Space Agency's Samantha
Cristoforetti. (The veteran astronaut said it was the most powerful storm
yet in her 300 days in space.)
Most space weather at its most dramatic provides a great show for people on
or near Earth, but a small number of particularly powerful storms can harm
power lines, satellites and other vital infrastructure that our planet
depends upon.
The sun is more prone to temper tantrums when it reaches its maximum of
activity, as sunspots spread on the surface and magnetic lines twist and
snap. If a storm is directed toward Earth, that can create auroras,
blackouts and other effects.
NASA, the European Space Agency and other space-faring entities keep an eye on
solar weather 24/7 to provide the best protection possible for Earth,
satellite managers and the astronauts working above our planet.